In the beginning, there was Haha Sabaku-Mother Desert. She was barren and lonely, but She possessed a beauty unique of the others. This beauty is what drew Chichi Ten—Father Sky—to favor Her so with His light, smiling upon Her the most. Amongst His harem, Their couplings were fewer, but the affairs considerably more passionate, the winds of His caress never relenting from Haha Sabaku, the dunes and rocks shaped by their passing

In time, Their romance bore fruit. Brother Lizard and Sister Snake, Cousin Scorpion and Uncle Hawk, even Ant and Beetle are all among Their children. But none is more enduring and precious to Mother Desert or Father Sky than Saboten, our ancestor. The Cactus grows and endures, storing away Father Sky’s gifts of water and giving in turn the great beauty of its blossoms. For this gift given in return, Father Sky blessed Saboten by taking up its flowers, giving them to Mother Desert who, in turn, gave them substance of Her body. Then, tight to Her bosom and in the sight of His smile, came us, child. The Arechihana…the Flowers in the Wastes…

~Arechihana Origin Tradition

Arechihana, the Flowers of the Waste

Clan Name: Arechihana

Clan Village: Sunagakure no Sato

Clan History:

If you ask the Arechihana where they came from, they will either smile and say the land or, maybe, treat you to one of the various retellings of the origin above. If you ask the right question—how their family and people came to be where they are today—then you would get the answer you really want. The Arechihana, like many other shinobi clans of Hidden Sand, have a very long history in Hidden Sand and Wind Country. What is now a clan was once a tribe that have, until relatively recent times, existed nomadic people of the wastes, doing a sort of migrant farming in the places where they have always known water was, tending flocks and fending off jackals. When Daisai Sougi and his expedition came into the desert, it was with wary eye and distance that they observed the sojourners. The Arechihana were never a warlike people, but they were as prickly and defensive as their claimed ancestor was by nature, both figuratively and literally, given the unique abilities they possessed through their bloodline, the Hyakunen no Hana, their gift from Father Sky and Mother Desert.

In time, Daisai settled in a city carved from the ancient sandstone and they found ways to flourish. This hardiness and perseverance impressed the Arechihana and, in time, the tribe reached out to the Hidden Village of Sand. They showed them how their people had survived and made due in the wastes for centuries uncounted, revealing their ancient wells and springs and revealing fruit bearing plants that would thrive in the arid conditions with a little work. The first Kazekage was grateful for their generosity and help and, frankly, impressed that they had thrived so in the nigh intolerable land. Sougi asked what he and his people could do to repay them.

And to that question, Jindaikaze, spiritual leader of the Arechihana, gave a long answer with a simple meaning. Jindaikaze, the Great Wind, told the people of Sunagakure of their origin. He told them of their beginnings as the flowers of the cactus, favored and loved by the great Father and Mother. And, finally, he told them of their gift, revealing the tribe’s ability to sprout forth needles over their entire bodies at will and, with effort, even cause the needles to flower, something they regarded as a sacred rite of fellowship with their ancestors, both flesh and divine. The villagers were shocked at this turn of events, but Daisai Sougi understood. Jindaikaze told the villagers not to be alarmed, promising they meant no harm. He explained that they had always had this gift, but that the words of the elders had always indicated that, one day, others would come who could help them achieve the perfection of their communion with Father Sky and Mother Desert.

The Arechihana, in their watching, had seen the villagers perform feats far beyond the norm. They had seen them channel Father Sky’s touch to protect their fledgling claims in the desert from scavengers and predators. They had seen then commune with Mother Desert to shape her body itself. The spirits had told the tribe that these people could help them perfect their gift. Jindaikaze told them they would swear their eternal service and loyalty to the village if they would take them in and teach them their ways so the Arechihana could unlock their own. Daisai Sougi, unwilling to repay the generosity of these people with fear and rejection, took hold of one of the tribal elder’s hands, catching all by surprise as he embraced the man, spines and all as a brother and friend.

Since then, the Flowers of the Wasteland have made their home alongside the village. They helped Daisai and his son make their village strong, offering an insight into the desert that allowed the people to flourish and the shinobi to embrace the elements of their surroundings. More importantly, the tribe flourished, learning of chakra and training their minds and bodies to take advantage of what they learned was called a kekkei genkai, or bloodline limit, the Hyakunen no Hana being developed feverishly by every member of the Arechihana into a powerful and feared taijutsu that pushed their bloodline. It would not be for over a century until the tribe would finally master their inborn potential, but their progress was a spiritual event that every member relished.

As the village struggled with poor leadership and being made puppets of these poor leaders, the tribe grew distant and aloof, their clan’s artwork more common of a sight than their shinobi. They did not enjoy being fooled or being taken advantage of, holding the embrace of Jindaikaze by Daisai Sougi as a cultural touchstone they would never forget. Further and further away they drew until, in the last half of the century, a woman of the village named Arisugawa Nayoko sought out allies to stand against the Kyuudaime Kazekage, a villainous and craven man who was filling his own coffers by selling the village’s secrets—the same secrets that the Arechihana had helped to develop and had sworn to protect all those years ago. The tribe quietly rose to her aid along with others and, in the end, the Kyuudaime was revealed as a traitor and cast down, Nayoko-sama being established in his place as Juudaime Kazekage.

Nayoko-sama remembered those who had come to her aid and put forth much effort to reintegrate those who had distance themselves during the dark years including the Flowers of the Waste. They had never abandoned the village, but they had cloistered themselves quite well, sending fewer of their children to the academy every year until Nayoko-sama’s tenure as Kazekage began. The tribe’s presence within the village began to return to as it once was, though perhaps slowly. This is the beginning of what has been called the Sabaku-ka--or Desertification--Movement amongst the clan.

However, when the trouble began with the Suna no Soushoku, the Arechihana took a hardline to these priests. Typically a very spiritually free people, managing to reconcile most all religions within their framework of Father Sky and His Harem, their claim of Assate as the God of the Desert was impossible. More, it was infuriating. A zeal rarely seen was sparked in the family. The war against this pretender and his priests was not merely to protect Hidden Sand. It was to protect the truth of their entire existence. The elders of the family, under the guidance of this generation’s Jindaikaze, communed with the spirits and the fury of Father and Mother were revealed to them and the command was given.

Every Flower would perish before these liars would prevail. A new oath was made within the clan stating that every child would be sent to the academy and every member who was trained would do all possible to aid the war effort. The fire was only stoked further when Nayoko-sama, true friend to the clan, was slain, the mourning of the entire family and the village solidifying the clan’s drive to end this. The new Kazekage made use of the Arechihana the same as he made use of every other shinobi as he waged war against the priests and rooted out traitors to Sunagakure.

The time since has been turbulent. The Kazekage has been in jeopardy, the prison was sundered and the convicted ran free. The future of Sand is dire, as is befitting of something grown in the desert. But the Arechihana know a two or thing about enduring the dire times of the desert and they believe their home, Sunagakure, will endure just fine. The spirits confirm it.

Appearance:

The Arechihana, now truly closer to a family than merely the loose-knit tribe of three centuries ago, have become a distinctive looking bunch. Touched by Father Sky, their skin is dusky, ranging from a strong shade of tan to a deep reddish-brown color and never a shade that would be described as ‘fair’, but it suits them nonetheless. They come in all shapes and sizes, tall and short and slim and stocky about all as common, though they tend to have a slight trend toward slenderness in the most recent generations, attributed by the elders to the ‘mean times in which these flowers have bloomed.’ There are two features that especially set apart a person as from the clan, one that they are born with and one that they cultivate as a part of their culture. The trait which they are born with is their eyes, possessing no special powers beyond perhaps being beautiful, being a vivid, vibrant fade from a light, sunburst-y red near the center of the iris to a soft yellow-orange at the edge. The second trait that sets them apart is their hair; though naturally dark, the clan members have typically taken to a combination of either using the dyes their people have cultivated and produced since time before memory to color their hair into shades of red, blue, orange, and purple that you do not typically find people being born with or working colorful cloth, fibers, beads, and feathers into their typically thick hair.

Clan Traditions:

Hoyo (The Embrace) – To commemorate the first Kazekage embracing Jindaikaze as a brother, the clan holds a gathering and feast on their clan grounds that is open to the public once a year. During this time, the clan gives away pottery and artwork and woven goods in their typical colorful fashion and freely shares their food and their culture with all comers. The elders of the clan will embrace any who will allow it and welcome them, ‘for today, you are Arechihana as well.’ Other parts of the festivities include music and dancing, the symbolic Dyeing Ceremony where their guests are splashed in the rare dye powders of the clan alongside them so that ‘on this day, all of us are beautiful offerings to Father Sky.’ Festivities typically conclude at sunrise, though none are hurried away until the following sunset, when the family enters into their private observance of The Embrace.

Angya (Journey) – To the Arechihana, spirits of their ancestors and kin fill the world and particularly the desert. A major step in any member of the clan is when they take their first Journey, separating themselves from the physical world and opening their eyes to the world of the spirits. This is achieved through meditation and the use of a sacred variety of cactus that the family holds as the most sacrosanct of secrets, the Hidden Sage amongst their Ancestors. The journey is different for everyone and develops in significance and revelation each time it is undertaken, but it is a strictly controlled rite. ‘One must not bother Father Sky without need, for He is busy and has many to cherish.’ Typically, most average members of the clan will Journey only a few times in their lives, typically revolving around important milestones in their lives: The Time of Growing (at about 13 years of age), The Time of Living (‘Adulthood’, about 16-19 years of age), The Time of Loving (Their Wedding Day), and The Time of Giving (soon before the birth of their first child). Shinobi members of the clan, however, have additional milestones revolving around their attainment of training within the bloodline (this amounts to attaining stage three, five, and seven of the bloodline list). Elders of the clan will journey once a year to gain guidance for the clan as well as when faced with a truly significant crisis. Most importantly, elders will Journey together, using techniques passed down since time immemorial to meld their experiences together and better seek the wisdom of Father and Mother.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Kyzuko

As Angya is not only a possible path of roleplay for any clan member, but also required to unlock certain special techniques within the clan’s list, it is necessary to give something of an explanation. Essentially, Angya is something of a vision/spirit quest facilitated through meditation as well as the use of a psychoactive cactus similar to what we call peyote in something of a similar manner as the tradition of the indigenous peoples of the North American southwest, particularly the Huichol and Mescalero peoples. The use of this cactus is always strictly controlled within the clan, never something taken lightly or recreationally. For our purposes, we shall call this cactus ‘kagayaku’, a retranslation of the word peyote is itself based on from the Nahuatl language. There are also a few sacred figures that will be given to the player’s character as something of a mantra to focus on as they enter the state necessary for Angya to be successful.

Essentially, when your character wishes to partake in Angya or at the discretion of the clan GM, a thread will be created between the GM and yourself. Before this thread is really started, communication between the GM and yourself as to why your character wishes to undertake Angya, what they hope to achieve, and the character’s motivations as a whole is suggested. This allows the two of your to construct a meaningful narrative in a setting that is basically limited only by the parameters the two of you set together.

The goal of Angya is always for the Arechihana member to come to a better understanding of their place in the world, particularly in relation to Saboten, Father Sky, and Mother Desert, particularly when it comes to those Angya that must be participated in the unlock Nezuku, Mayonaka no Kaika, and Chitose no Kaika techniques. Those three threads have a fairly specific categorization, thankfully.

The Angya to unlock Nezuku should revolve around coming to a clearer and better understanding of your character’s heritage through Saboten, The Cactus (always all capitals as far as the Arechihana are concerned). As Nezuku as a technique is essentially imploring your needles to endure and survive, having fellowship with this ancestor can teach you many valuable lesson about Its own survival and growth. Further, this fellowship should leave you understanding your own place in this cycle as the Arechihana are the flowers that Saboten produced to honor Father and Mother, the gift taken by Father Sky and made flesh by Mother Desert. Understanding how the clan itself are essentially living examples of what you will be willing the needles to do can start connecting the dots on how to achieve this. The physical focus of this Angya is a small potted barrel cactus that, once the Angya is complete, the clan member will take for their own to signify their enduring growth.

The Angya to unlock Mayonaka no Kaika should revolve around coming to a clearer and better understanding of Father Sky. After all, the blooms of Saboten were meant to thank Father Sky for his benevolence and favor. Given that, the flowering of your needles should serve to make the ugly business of fighting and dying more pleasing to his eyes. Rather than approaching Father Sky directly, though that is a possibility, this Angya will usually revolve around recognizing the way their other spiritual relatives from the coupling of Father Sky and Mother Desert also offer up their gifts back to their divine parents. This will usually involve the Arechihana having a conversation with one or two of these spiritual ancestors, gaining perspective on how Brother Snake, Sister Owl, or Uncle Scorpion may see their place in the court of Mother Desert and Father Sky and how they interact with them. The tokens used as focuses in this Angya will vary in the specifics, but will typically be small figures of carved bone or stone to signify certain desert flora and fauna that will typically be worn as pendants by the Arechihana to signify their understanding of their similar places within the court of Sky and Desert.

Among the Angya which may be undertaken in the life of Arechihana, almost none is more highly regarded and privileged than that which a member of the clan will undertake to unlock Chitose no Kaika, and this is perhaps because of the technique’s symbolism in the Arechihana’s spiritual beliefs. While Nezuku represents the perseverance of Saboten and Mayonaka no Kaika represents the Arechihana being grateful to Father Sky for the world around them, Chitose no Kaika represents being grateful for the flesh and life that Mother Desert gave to the first people of the clan. While outsiders may tend to assume that Father Sky stands at the top of the hierarchy for the Arechihana, the highest place of honor is of Haha Sabaku, for, while the Father smiled upon them, it wsa the Mother that gave them life. This all being said, this Angya differs from the others—particularly the previous two mentioned here—in a few key ways. First is that, unlike the other Angya, there is no small token for one to focus on as they slip into Angya. The second is that, unlike the others which will often take place within a meditation room in the clan’s estate to promise that Angya is not interefered with or disturbed, as well as the supervising elders being able to subtly influence the sojourner from outside the vision. This second difference ties into the first in that the participant’s focus is the desert as a whole, this particular Angya taking place in the wastes of Hi no Kuni. The user seeks to enter into direct communion with Mother Desert in order to thank Her for the gift of life and gain the perspective on how similar that situation is to the process occurring in Chitose no Kaika. The specifics of this conversation can and should vary among those who experience it, but the elders typically tell prospective participants that it is no different from any conversation you would have with your flesh mother.

Chichioya no Egao (The Father Smiles) – A family feast day and celebration that takes place on the first day of Spring. Select friends of the family are invited to the feast, but beyond that, it is a rather private affair. Attendees are wreathed with flowers at the entrance by the clan’s elders and the night proceeds in a festive and celebratory manner similar to Hoyo, but the reduced numbers allows for a more intimate and involved atmosphere of connection and camaraderie. The feast served is rich and plentiful, paired with the family’s ritual liquor made from different cacti and traditional ingredients, ending up with a light citrus taste that masks any edge from the alcohol itself. These celebrations will typically run into the early morning, though most will break off from the main group to find seclusion within the clan manor where quieter and more personal conversations may be had.

Kyusoku (Rest) – One could say this is the counterpart to Chichioya no Egao, taking place towards the end of the Fall once the traditional time of harvesting is done. Whereas Chichioya no Egao is a party, Kyusoku is a time for reflection and togetherness within the family. It begins on sundown one day and ends on sunrise a day later and outsiders are not invited in to the compound for this event. The family will spend time together and eat meager, light meals, speaking of what they have learned and done over the past year with each other, reflecting on their individual and shared experiences and seeking a deeper meaning. Coincidentally, the timing of Kyusoku tends to put it near many clan member’s brithdays—it’s timing relative to Chichioya no Egao is no coincidence—within a month or so and so, in the last hours of Kyusoku, the clan members will typically give gifts to one another as a way of commemorating and celebrating together.

Important Figures:

Jindaikaze, The Great Wind – The head amongst the elders, Jindaikaze is a name and a title traditionally handed down to the wisest and oldest of the clan elders. The current Jindaikaze is a fierce supporter of Enzan in memoriam to Nayoko-Sama, an allegiance itself earned as he worked by her side to expose the corruption of her predecessor. He is exceedingly old, but does not appear frail. He is a master of the clan’s bloodline and associated techniques.

The Seven Elders – Consisting of Jindaikaze and the six oldest and wisest men and women within the clan, the Seven Elders are less corporal authority and more spiritual guidance for the Arechihana. Consisting of shinobi and non-shinobi alike, the Elders are also responsible for officiating over the rites and holidays as well as preparing members of the clan for Angya.

Clan Housing:

The Arechihana make their home in a rather lavish compound within the walls of Sungakure’s outer hub. Past the gated entrance is a garden of flowering desert plants and a few minimalist water features. Broad covered spaces are intended to host feasts and family events while the interior is one comfortable room after another, bolts of colorful cloth hung along the hallways and acting as doors separating each room. The walls also feature much of their traiditional art, colorfully woven tapestries and vividly painted pottery present in abundance. In the rear of the compound is a broad training yard where members of the clan may hone their skills and test their strength amongst one another in a competitive camaraderie. Overall, the clan’s home is inviting and friendly, reflecting the clan’s prevailing attitude.

The clan’s gift, the Hyakunen no Hana, is the truest sign of their descent from Saboten. While, at its core, this ability merely allows the members of the Arechihana to produce needles similar to a cactus across their body, it is something that has been trained, honed, and developed into something more. The needles cause them no pain when emerging and, with training, can be brought to the surface reflexively. They draw no blood and leave no wounds on the owner’s flesh. The needles themselves are strong, comparable to steel instruments of the same relative size in tensile strength but, typically, much lighter.

With training, the bloodline can be pushed so as to launch the spines as part of coordinated motions for precise, pinpoint strikes as well as grow far large than the baseline senbon-sized spines, masters of the style being able to produce tanto and even wakizashi length needles that are similar in form to stiletto knife or the head of a pike, not much good for slashing but excellent for thrusting.

The true power of the Hyakunen no Hana, however, involves what can be done with the needles after they have left the body of the user, implanted in an opponent. The needles, when in the body of the user, are tied to both their vital and chakra systems. Once that link is severed, the needles will seek to reestablish a similar connection in their new residence; that is, they will seek to connect themselves to the vital and chakra systems of whoever they end up being stuck in. Once a successful link is made, the flowers will attempt to flower, explaining the name of the bloodline. In fact, the needles are becoming their own, individual plants or plant systems, feeding off the energies of their new host to create reserves that will sustain their life. Understandably, such an occurrence is not only painful for the host, but also very draining, making the host very tired, itself serving to help ensure the longevity of these new plants. In those trained in chakra, it can also make using their abilities much more difficult as the needles begin to siphon off the mystical energy to fuel their lives. At the highest levels of mastery of the bloodline, the needles can very quickly be fatal to a host if the Hyakunen no Hana user so wishes, exerting a level of control over their weapons.

Clan Archetype:

OcotilloThis archetype must be taken to take Hyakunen no Hana.Special: When taken as Primary Archetype, the character can use two special techniques of Hyakunen no Hana in the same post once per thread.Primary: PhysicalSecondary: ChakraTertiary: MentalStat Merit: +1 to Strength, +1 to Speed, +1 to StaminaStat Flaw: -1 to Intelligence, -1 Willpower, -1 Tactics

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"The more I see of what you call civilization,
the more highly I think of what you call savagery!"Robert E. Howard, King Kull

A HUNDRED DAYS, HYAKUNEN NO HANA, FOREVER, WWW. HYAKUNEN NO HANA .COM ONE HUNDRED YEARS M-MORTY

I'll half approve this I really like the spiritual side. Daisuke's (semi) spiritual in his own right, his belief structure is a little more flexible, but he would definitely identify with members of this clan.